Pole dancing is a hot pandemic workout in conservative India – men and even grannies are taking it up
- With gyms closed to halt the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, people of all ages in India, men included, are turning to pole dancing for fitness
- Trainers note that it engages all muscles and tones the entire body. Polers are also finding it a form of therapy to cope with the pandemic’s stress and anxiety
Pole dancing is the newest fitness trend in conservative India, with everyone from millennials to senior citizens taking to it with fervour.
Nupur Chaudhuri, 35, created a sensation on popular television reality show India’s Got Talent in January by performing a pole-dancing routine. Her mother-in-law, her “pillar of support”, accompanied her to the studio.
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be standing here today,” the misty-eyed performer said to applause from the jury and audience.
Pole dancing workshops, both online and offline, are drawing large number across the country. Sports equipment companies are reporting a surge in pole sales – Utsav Singh, owner of KOF Dance Pole, says the Mumbai-based company’s pole sales have “skyrocketed” during the pandemic.
“With gyms closed, hundreds have turned to pole dancing for fitness. And even though poles don’t come cheap (US$500 to US$1,500), we can’t keep up with orders from studios and individual buyers,” Singh says.
Women make up the bulk of his buyers. “I recently had parents gifting a dance pole to their daughter. This means perceptions are definitely changing about it. And people are embracing it as a workout without viewing it through the prism of sexuality or gender,” he says.